Paper handling mechanism for duplicating machines



NGV. 27, 1945. J. GIBSON EI'AL 2,389,848

PAPER HANDLING MECHANISM FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES INVENTORS JZzr-nes LGzbson- Filed Dec. 18, '1941 4 Sheets-Sheet l B Eric ZUPetaTSOn- Nova27, 1945.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 18 1941 fir l l l l hn HU 4.

LIr vi F Eric m Peter-60g.

Nov. 27, 1945. I J. 1.; Gl BSON ETAL 2,389,848

PAPER HANDLING MECHANISM FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES File d Deo. 18, 1941 4Sheets-Sheet a L JZzr rzes L- Gzbson- BY Er zc CU- Petersonawon igfiuyifim Nov. 27, 1945. J. GIBSON ETAL 2,389,848

PAPER HANDLING MECHANISM FOR DUPLIUATING MACHINES Filed Dec. 18, 1941 4Sheeis-Sheet 4 97 Zr ,5 96 6Q 60 79 31 Jig 81 a] B0 64 66 65 r a a a .255 a a a \.5:3B 7g INVENTORS. @mea L- Gzbson.

. Peierson.

Patented Nov. 27, 1945 PAPER HANDLING MECHANISM F DUPLICATING MACHINEJames L. Gibson, Chicago, and Eric W. Peterson,

Glen Ellyn, 11]., asslgnors to Ditto, Incorporated, Chicago, 111., acorporation of West Virgin a Application December 18, 1941, Serial No.423,480

2 Claims. (Cl. 101-132) This invention relates to paper handling meansfor use in connection with duplicating machines for taking sheets orcards in succession from the drum of such a machine and delivering themto a tray or other suitable receptacle. It is one of the objects of ourinvention to provide an improved arrangement of paper handling mechanismadapted for use in place of the mechanism shown by the prior Patent No.2,175,667 to Marchev and Morrison, dated October 10, 1939.

In a machine of this type, and particularly when motor driven, it isimportant that the cards or sheets being printed shall have as smoothand easy a path of movement as possible for insuring that they shall notbe caught and held from orderly forward movement, and that theforwarding means be arranged so as to give the card or sheet a quicksharp final movement clear of the forwarding means and into the tray. Inan arrangement of this kind, when the forward movement of a card orsheet is stopped by being brought inadvertently into contact with aportion of the means by which the path is defined, the cards or sheetsare likely to pile up and become wedged in position so as to make theirremoval diiiicult and thus to cut down substantially the normalusefulness of the duplicating machine.

In our improved arrangement, an endless belt conveyor is provided fortaking the copy sheets from the drum of the duplicating machine anddelivering such sheets to a receiving tray at the outer end -of thebelt, such belt being driven at the same surface speed as that of thedrum and its cooperating platen roller. Frictionally-acting means isprovided at the delivery end of the belt for speeding up the sheets orcards at the end of their movement by the belt so as to insure that thesheets or cards shall be thrown clear of the forwarding means. Otherfrictionally-acting means is provided also in position for engaging thesheets adjustably mounting the receiving tray in position and foradjusting the angular position of the tray as desired.

It is another object of this invention to improve devices of this typein sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by whichthe several objects have been attained are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which-- Fig. 1 is a central vertical sectionalview through a duplicating machine equipped with our improvements, beingtaken substantially at the line l-I of Fig. 2, with the end portions ofthe machine broken away;

Fig. 2 is a top plan shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially at the line 3-3 of Fig.1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially at the line 4-4of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially at the line 5-5of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken subview of the machine asstantially at the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and

or cards and pressing them firmly into contact I with the belt so as toprevent effective action by said speeding-up means on a sheet or carduntil such sheet or card has advanced beyond the drum and the mastersheet thereon. The speeding-up effect is thus delayed until there is nodanger that such sheet or card shall be whipped into contact with themaster sheet so as to blur the copy or damage the master.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide an improvedarrangement of mounting and driving means for the delivery belt,together with a convenient arrangement of means for tightening the belt.Improved means is also provided for Fig. 7 is a view of a fragmentaryportion of the machine as seen at the line '|-'l in Fig. 6.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawings in whichcorresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, l0and I l indicate sheet metal standards at opposite sides of aduplicating machine embodying our improvements, said standards beingfirmly connected together by crossbar portions l2 and I3, also of sheetmetal, as is best shown in Fig. 1. Between the standards I 0 and II, aheavy shaft I4 is rotatably mounted in position for supporting, a druml5, which is provided with a plurality of grippers l6, for detachablymounting a master so as to rotate with the gear, in position to beengaged by a pawl 28 pivotally mounted on a heavy plate 29 movable withthe drum. Means comprising a latch member 30 pivotally mounted by meansof a cross shaft 3| is adapted when moved inwardly to operative positionas shown in Fig. 1 to engage the pawl 28 for releasing it from theratchet wheel 21 and for stopping the drum [5 in position for receivinga master sheet thereon. Means comprising a latch member 32 pivotallymounted by means of a cross shaft 33 is adapted alternatively to bemoved inwardly for engaging the pawl 26 for releasing the pawl from the.ratchet'wheel 21 so as to stop the drum l5 in position for having a copysheet fed into impression relationship with the master sheet on thedrum. The shafts 3| and 33 are operatively connected together by meanscomprising a lihk 33a, said shaft 33 having a handle or lever 33bmounted thereon for operating the latches 30 and 32. This constructionis preferably of the type shown by prior Letters Patent to Hernlund No.2,117,165, granted May 10; 1938, and forms in and of itself no part ofthe present invention. It is believed accordingly to be unnecessary todescribe this mechanism and its operation in detail.

For pressing copy sheets successively against the master sheet on thedrum, a platen roller 34 is provided, rotatably mounted between the armsof a yoke 35 pivotally, mounted on the framework below the drum. An arm36 extends downwardly from the yoke into engagement with a control rod31 connected at its rear end with an eccentric 38, a coiled spring 39 onsaid rod bearing against said arm for holding it yieldingly in itsrearmost 'ad- Justed position. A short distance to the rear of theplaten roller 34, forwarding rollers 46 and 4| are rotatably mounted incooperative relation to each other for forwarding copy sheets intoposition between the drum l5 and the platen roller 4 34. Moisteningmeans of any approved type is provided for applying afllm of solvent tothe upper forwarding roller 40 for transfer to the top face of a copysheet fed to the drum, such moistening means in the arrangement showncomprising an absorbent pad 42 bearing on the rear face of the roller 40and a. pipe 43 through which a supply of solvent is fed from anysuitable source.

A table or tray 44 is provided to the rear of the forwarding rollers forsupporting a pile of copy sheets 45 to be fed one at a time between saidrollers 40 and 4!. This means also is substantially in accordance withthe showing of said prior Hernlund Patent No. 2,117,165.

Coming now to the improved arrangement by which our objects have beenattained, 46 and 41 indicate heavy frame plates at opposite sides of themachine fixedly mounted in position in inwardly spaced relation to thestandards l6 and H, as is best shown in Fig. 3'. At their rear ends, theplates are supported by headed pins 46 engaging notches 45 in theplates, while the front end portions of the plates are secured bymachine screws 56 taking into lugs 5| extending inwardly from thestandards I and It. At their forward end portions the plates 46 and 41support a roller comprising a plurality of roller sections 52 (see Fig.such roller sections being in spaced relation to each other transverselyof the machine for supporting the front end portions of endless belts53. In the spaces between adjacent roller sections 52, rollers 54 ofincreased diametrical sire are mounted in position so as to rotate withthe roller sections 52. At their rear end portions, undemeath the drumII, a roller is rotatably mounted in position, such roller comprisingroller sections 55 which support the rear end portions of the endlessbelts 53. In the construction illustrated, the roller sections 55 aremounted in position by means of a shaft'56 journaled in slide blocks 51slidably mounted in notches 56 in the rear edge portions of the plates46 and 41, as is best shown in Figs. 1 and 6. As is clearly shown inFig. 3, the plates 46 and 41 are provided with lugs 53 in which setscrews 63 are secured by means of screw-threads bearing at their endsagainst the bearing blocks 51 for tightening the ,belts 53, as will bereadily understood.

In the construction illustrated, the side plates 46 and 41 are rigidlyconnected together by transversely extending channel bars 6| and 62 bywhich a very strong and rigid construction is assured for supporting atray 63 in position for receiving copy sheets from the belts 53 ashereinafter described. As is best shown in Fig. 5, the side plateportions 64 of the tray 63 are pivotally connected with the forward endsof the plates 46 and 41 by mean of rivets 65, the side plates of thetray being provided with notches 66 therein as shown in Fig. 6 inposition to have releasable engagement with the rivets 65. The angularposition of the tray 63 with respect to the duplicating machine iscontrolled by a polygonal plate 61 operatively mounted in position onthe bottom face of the channel 82, as is best shown in Figs. 6 and 7.The plate 61 i mounted in position so as to be rotatable by means of ahead 68 positioned immediately below the channel 62, as is clearly shownin Fig. 6. The plate 61 is arranged in 'position for engaging the endportion of the tray 63 so as to hold the engaged portion of the tray indifferentially spaced relation with respect to the channel 62. Thearrangement is such that the pressure of the tray upon the plate 61serves to hold such plate 61 in the adjusted position in which it isplaced so as to hold the tray in variable angular position vertically.

Means is provided for driving the belts 53 at the same surface speed athat of the drum l5. This means comprises a pinion 69 meshing with thepinion 25 (see Fig. 6), such pinion 69 meshing in turn with a pinion 10fixedly connected with a pulley 1| which is connected by means of a belt12 with a pulley 13 rotatable with the roller sections 52 (see Figs. 3and 5). For tightening the belt 12, a roller 14 is'provided carried byan arm 15 pivotally mounted in position, the arm 15 being normally drawndownwardly in counterclockwise direction in Fig. 6 by a spring 16connected with said arm (see Fig. 6)

Means is provided in engagement with the top plies of the belts 53 forholding copy sheets from slipping with respect to such belts as thesheets are carried forwardly and upwardly thereby. This means comprisesa plurality of rollers 11 rotatably mounted in position by means of across shaft 16 journaled in suitable bearings in the side plates 46 and41, a is clearly shown in Fig. 3. The rollers 11 are knurled on theirperipheries so as to have a good frictional grip on the face of a copysheet moving forwardly on the belts 53. The shaft 18 is located in suchposition'as to cause the knurled rollers 11 to hold the top plies of thebelt 53 in lowered position with respect to the supporting rollers 52and so as to hold the opposite end portions of the top plies of the beltin angled relation to each other. As a result of this arrangement, theoperation of tightening the belts 53 by an adjustment of the set screwserves to increase the pressure of the belts upwardly upon the knurledrollers 11.

At the forward end of the conveyor comprising the belts 53, a shaft 19is rotatably mounted in position between pivotally mounted arms 80, asis best shown in Fig. 1. The shaft 19 is provided with thin knurledrollers 8| in spaced relation therealong in position to press downwardlyupon the rollers 54 which are interposed between the belts 53.

In the operation of the machine, with the drum l5 rotating so as todeliver copy sheet one at a time between the drum and the platen roller34' into position upon the belts 53, such copy sheets are carriedforwardly and upwardly'by the belts, the sheets being pressed firmlyagainst the belts by the knurled rollers TI so asto be held firmlyagainst slippage with respect to the belts; When the sheets reach theforward ends of the belts 53,

the sheets are deflected upwardly so as to passbetween the rollers 54and 8| and to cause such rollers to apply a forward pull on the sheetsfor speeding up their movement. This result is brought about by reasonof the fact that the rollers 54 are of greater diametrical size thanthat of the rollers 52 whereby the rollers 54 have a substantiallyincreased surface speed as compared with that of the engaged portions ofthe belts 53 at that point. rollers 54 and 8| upon the sheets ishowever'considerably less than the grip of the belts 53 and the rollers11 on the sheets so that the rollers 54 i are caused to slip withrespect to the engaged sheet so long as such sheet is in engagement alsowith the roller The arrangement is such that the copy sheets-continue attheir normal speed of forward movement regardless of the pull of therollers 54 and 8| thereon until the sheet passes out of engagement withthe roller Tl, whereupon the sheet is immediately moved for- Thefrictional grip of the wardly at increased speed by the rollers 54 and8|.

The increased speed of movement of the sheets as the reareedge ofthesheet approaches the forward end of the endless belt conveyor assuresthat the sheet shall be thrown clear of the conveyor into the desiredposition in the tray 63. Inasmuch as the rollers 8| are driven only byfrictional engagement with the copy sheets, it will be understood thatthere is not ordinarily any slip- Page between the rollers 8| and thesheets even when the rollers 54 are slipping with respect to the sheetsimmediately below. The printed face of the copy sheet is thuspreservedunimpaired, the slipping of the rollers 54 being confined tothe back faces of the sheets.

In the arrangement shown, a hand wheel 82 is provided, operativelyconnected with the drum scribed, the invention is not to be limited tosuch arrangement except so far as the claims may be so limited, it beingunderstood that changes might well be made in the construction withoutdeparting from the invention.

We claim:

1. In a paper handling mechanism for a duplieating machine having a drumat the lower portion of which copy sheets are released as the drumrotates, the combination of an endless belt conveyor in position forreceiving sheets thereon from the drum, means for moving said conveyorat substantially the same surface speed as that of the drum forcarryingsaid sheets forwardly and upwardly, a tray pivotaliy mounted ona transversely positioned axis at the front end portion of said conveyorin position to receive sheets from the conveyor, and means for holdingsaid tray in a plurality of different angular positions comprising apolygonal member pivotally mounted in position for spacing a portion ofthe tray at difi'erential distances from a portion of the framework andarranged so as normally to be held in adiusted position by the pressureof the tray thereon. Q

v 2. In a paper handling mech'anism for a duplicating machine having adrum at the lower portion of which copy sheets are released as the drumrotates, the combination of an endless belt conveyor in position. forreceiving sheets thereon from the drum, means for moving said conveyorat substantially the same surface speed as that of the drum for carryingsaid sheets forwardly and upwardly, a receptacle at the front endportion of said conveyor in position to receive sheets therein from theconveyor, rollers rotatably mounted on the axis about which the forwardend portion of the conveyor is supported and driven by the conveyor at asubstantially higher surface speed than that of the conveyor adapted byengagement with sheets forwarded by the conspect to the drum. 7 H i;

JAIWES L. GIBSON?" ER'IK'J w. PETERSON.

